Plantestudie 1906 - 1910

This is a page from a sketchbook, a Plant Study by Niels Larsen Stevns. Note the sketch of a head of what appears to be a pinecone, or perhaps an artichoke. The pinecone is an ancient symbol of fertility and regeneration. In ancient Egypt, the pinecone was associated with the third eye, or the seat of intuition. Look at how this form is echoed through the ages. Think of the staff of Osiris, entwined with serpents and topped with a pinecone. Then consider the Greek god Dionysus, carrying a thyrsus, a staff also tipped with a pinecone, symbolising enlightenment and rebirth. The motif resurfaces in Roman art, and even makes its way into Christian iconography, often adorning papal staffs. The enduring presence of the pinecone symbol across millennia suggests a deep-seated connection to our collective psyche, continuously reappearing in various forms to remind us of nature's eternal cycles.